Simple emoticons have been around for years, but it’s the rise of smartphones and social media that have really brought them into the mainstream. They’re used everywhere; from text messages to Instagram hashtags to Tweets. However, what each character means is often subject to debate.

Here are some of the commonly accepted meanings of popular emoji:

SMILEY FACES

Smiling Face With Smiling Eyes and Smiling Face are the two most commonly used emoticons. They simply denote happiness or positivity.
If you’re the passive-aggressive type, they may also be used following an insult or criticism to remove some of the sting.

Smiling Face With Sunglasses

Smiling Face With Sunglasses is used to show coolness. Because nothing is cooler than a smiley face wearing a pair of shades!

Winking Face

Winking Face shows that the message was sent with humorous intent. Any message that accompanies a Winking Face should not be taken too seriously. Riiiiiight!!

Kissing Faces

Kissing Face and Face Throwing A Kiss are all used to show romance or affection. Face Throwing A Kiss is possibly more romantic due to the small red heart. The other can also be used to show innocent whistling.

Smiling Face With Heart-Shaped Eyes

Smiling Face With Heart-Shaped Eyes shows love, adoration, or gratitude. It can be used towards a person, place, or thing.

The number one question we get asked when summer comes around is: “Can I wear my jewelry at the beach or in the pool?”

The short answer is – you probably shouldn’t, but we know you will!

After this year’s never-ending and brutally cold winter, many are ready to enjoy the summer months with days spent poolside or at the sandy shore. Which leads to the question: “Should I wear my jewelry at the beach or in the pool?”

That’s a tough one, because of course when you are on vacation, you want to look fabulous. Not to mention, we see jewelry on bikini-clad women throughout our favorite fashion magazines. But is this really a good idea? The quick answer is probably not. There are lots of reasons why jewelry at the beach or poolside can end badly. The most obvious is the potential to lose a favorite piece in the waves or sand. The chemicals in chlorine from a pool or hot tub are damaging to metals; water can loosen any piece set with glue; sand can scratch a piece; and suntan lotions will gum up your gems, making them lose their shine.

That being said, of course jewelry can look beautiful with your favorite bikini or caftan. If you simply must wear some jewelry, maybe this is a good time to p ull out some of your fabulous costume pieces. Pieces like this can usually hold up to more wear and tear, and should something terrible happen, you won’t be out hundreds (or thousands). Any jewelry you DO wear to the beach or pool should be cleaned afterward to remove any oils (from sun lotions), salts (from the ocean or sweat), chemicals (chlorine) and sand. Use a cleaning formula that is appropriate for the piece (ask your jeweler if you are unsure) and polish it well with a polishing cloth.

And always be SURE, SURE, SURE to completely DRY your jewelry after it gets wet, which will help more than anything to avoid the annoying dark spots – caused by oxidation – that can occur in even 14 & 18K gold jewelry.

The other day my cousin asked me if I made “promise rings” – he wanted to get one for his girlfriend. He’s 52.

As much as I wanted to make fun of him – full disclosure: I DID ask him if his girlfriend was 12 – I realized that the whole concept of wearing “couples” jewelry is actually making a comeback…among adults!

His & Hers Jewelry from Alison & Ivy

Jennifer Anniston and Justin Theroux even wear matching 14K Gold Name Rings, although they kind of lose points for wearing their OWN names instead of each others. Oh vanity, celeb be thy name:

Large 14K Gold Name Rings

Jennifer Anniston and Justin Theroux with their fabulous matching name rings

The matching name ring thing is really hot right now actually, and let’s face it – it’s a great way to show your love without being quite so…permanent.

The locket (a pendant that opens to reveal a space used for storing a photograph or other small item) has been around a LONG time. It’s true – Google it.
Originally worn with a hand painted portrait of a loved one inside, they became more popular with the invention of the daguerreotype photo in the 1840s.

1850 Daguerreotype Photo

This original form of photography would require the subject to sit for about 30 minutes to capture an image, and was originally reserved for the aristocracy. Lockets became a way to carry a daguerreotype, which was already fused to glass. The industrial revolution and the advancement of photography made lockets accessible to everyday people. Like us.

While many people still insert photo’s into lockets the old fashioned way, there are new methods of fusing a photo image directly onto a gold or silver plate which is then fused onto the locket for a more permanent – and waterproof – solution.

We also put all different types of things inside them, including little charms made to dance inside clear lockets like our own Diamond Circle Lockets.

There are also Prayer Holder and Ash Holder Lockets, specifically designed to hold things other than photo’s so they can be worn inconspicuously yet close to the heart.

So Sunday and Monday we had the one-two punch of the MTV Video Music Awards and 2014 Prime Time Emmy Awards, respectively. It was two nights of high fashion and over-the-top glitziness that I’m still trying to process.

As pure spectacle I have to give it to MTV, but for old-school Hollywood glamor the Emmy’s won out. Are there any hot new jewelry trends we noticed? Not really – but boy, do these celebrities LOVE to dress up!

In the Emmy earrings department, Big Bang Theory’sMayim Bialik went with an understated pair of Sapphire & Diamond studs to accentuate the ornate Sapphire necklace she was wearing.

Meanwhile, at the VMA’s, Beyoncé decided to skip the ornate neck jewelry altogether and just hang two giant chandeliers from her ears.

Orange is the New Black’sTaylor Schilling was a good example of the Emmy-wide trend of minimalism, choosing not to wear anything around her neck.

Amber Rose took a different route at the VMA’s, wearing a silver chain – and ONLY a silver chain – as her entire dress. Well played Amber, well played.

And finally, lovely Hayden Panettiere of the hit show Nashville graced the Emmy red carpet with the simplest of accessories: a small jeweled clutch and a baby bump.

Katy Perry, on the other hand, rocked the VMA red carpet in vintage blue denim – accessorized with various cowboy-themed jewelry…and some dude named Riff Raff.

Has the classic script “Carrie” style nameplate been replaced by a simple engraved bar?
It’s such a simple design, really. A plain, polished (or brushed) horizontal bar, engraved with one or two names, in 14k gold or sterling silver with a matching gold or silver chain. Could this really be the personalized piece that finally dethrones the iconic Carrie Bradshaw Name Necklace made famous on Sex in the City??

Exhibit A: They have been worn by A LOT of celebs lately

Exhibit B: They have quietly become our #1 selling item in lots of different metal types and shapes